Full Circle part 2

Everything has come full circle

Oroborus smiled

Hope springs eternal

When Aphrodite shines

I swear it ends here and now with me

Here, now, with me

The cycle ends here and now with me

Here, now with me

Goodnight my little one

Safe in your daddy's arms

Goodnight, sleep tight

Goodnight my little one

Sleep in your daddy's arms

Tonight, tonight

I'll be your light in the darkness

Chase the shadows away

Goodnight, sweet dreams my Emily

I'm glad that this time you stayed

Goodnight my little one

Perfect in your daddy's eyes

Goodnight, sleep tight

Goodnight my little one

I will watch over you

But softly

A Lesser Evil

Another bloody Sunday silence
Punctuated by sporadic rainfall
The pictures living on my TV screen
Remind me of someone I used to know

So I found a girl who looked like you
I dressed her in your clothes
But somehow she doesn’t make love
Anything like you used to do

The final rusty nail forced through
Splintering arms of tolerance
The final straw that broke my back
My cross to bear and burn
And though this sorry life goes on
For the pathetic souls who don’t complain
Oustide your cage
I’m standing caged within myself

My love you’re thinner now
You can’t be eating properly
Your will is dimming now
Your eyes are fading

Skin and bones and bedding
Newspapers and gasoline
I fed the flame
The flame clensed

The final rusty nail forced through
Splintering arms of tolerance
The final straw that broke my back
My cross to bear and burn
And though this sorry life goes on
For the pathetic souls who don’t complain
I'll just keep staring at the past
Until my eyes start burning

Defeated by the Rain (Boxroom)

In the corner of a box placed in the corner of a boxroom
She’s selling pathos and lethargy
He stands in the doorway blocking the light from beyond
He's selling faith full of ignorance
His presence is so thick it's hard to discard
So she stares facing him fearful
He exudes malevolence in the way only a lover can hate
Stone cold granite heart

Defeated by the rain dry skin blistered from its fearful touch
Deflated by the reins wrapped tight around

He won't move from the doorway, won't let the light in on her
So she lives in his shadow
She pretends she's happy there but can't disguise somethign's wrong
Can't break his hold
She built a church inside her mind where she prays to him sometimes
And she is ignored
Forgiveness isn't what he sells, least not to worthless pleading shells
The cost is too high

Defeated by the rain dry skin blistered from its fearful touch
Deflated by the reins wrapped tight around

I can’t give up, you need too much
I can't let go, you need to hurt
I cannot go, it's punishment
For what I did, for what I know
I blame myself but I'm not to blame
It makes no sense but I need the shame
I need to pay, I gave it all
There’s nothing left to pay with
Except...

Defeated by the rain dry skin blistered from its fearful touch
Deflated by the reins wrapped tight around
Defeated by the shame but that's the last gift that I have for you
Won’t get fooled again, don’t ever think I’d die for free

Smile Upon Her

Descend the winding stairs into the new room below
Disturb the dust with echoing footsteps
Is this not the same as the place we were before?
Perhaps a little less light escapes

How many more will I touch this way?
I ask without expecting an answer
Raise my offering to the sky, to the god of sleep and lullaby
We all have our icons to burn

And I hope that someday someone
Will smile upon her just as I always will
Yeah I know that it’s all just a fleeting kiss away
Till then I’ll smile upon her

When what should stay behind closed doors spills to the waiting press
We chose sides and stand as judges and jury
If you sugarcoat your biased view and skirt around a few taboos
The kids won’t even think to complain

And I hope that someday someone
Will smile upon her just as I always will
Yeah I know that it’s all just a fleeting kiss away
Till then I’ll smile upon her

There’s nothing more to do
Except to sit and wait
With all my friends and rejections
There’s nothing more to say
That’s not been said before
Feelings are beyond my invention

And I hope that someday someone
Will smile upon her just as I always will
Yeah I know that it’s all just a fleeting kiss away
Till then I’ll smile upon her
I guess I’ll smile upon her

Starlingfall

Starlings fly in strict formation
Over the steel trees that served us well
Feral now, how they adapted
When the world below them fell

These tarmac roads I travel alone
Are strewn with glass and paved with blood
Conditioned now to accept the fatal
Pity we’re not made of stronger stuff

Some things in my life they cling and stain, oh-a-oh
My childhood nightmares stay close at hand, yeah yeah yeah
I feel I’m falling, falling down, down towards the ground
Please let me wake before I land

Self abuse triggered these dreams
Wounds I lay open they swallow me in
Remember the womb… helpless but safe?
Must we rely… on others to win?
Why must we rely…. on anyone else at all?

Some things in my life they cling and stain, oh-a-oh
My childhood nightmares stay close at hand, yeah yeah yeah
I feel I’m falling, falling down, down towards the ground
Please let me wake before I land

Snatches of dreams
I’m past it all
Falling down through
A crack in the wall
Haunted by sight
I’m blind in my fear
Trapped in its spin
Too low to hear

Starlings fly in strict formation
Over the ruins our fathers built
Stricken and twisted they blight the landscape
But starlings know not of our guilt

The Cancer That Is Fear

The group around me laughed as the tears welled up and fell
Like some bullied little girl with no womb, frills or lace
She scratches with her nails but the male pride holds her down
Convinced this world should never have to see her face

Poetic and romantic, the fantasies she holds precious
Come true for her sometimes but rarely do they last for long
Vulnerable and fragile, beautiful and strange
Caught the eges of your sight but then was gone again

Always been a failure in my father’s eyes
Always been a failure in my father’s eyes
Always been a failure in my father’s eyes
And now I’m becoming a failure in my own

She peered round the barriers and showed herself to my best friend
Faltering uneasy steps, blushing and shy
Still hidden in the shadows, she raised her voice to softly sing
Sometimes she fleetingly is heard and then she’s gone

Always been a failure in my father’s eyes
Always been a failure in my father’s eyes
Always been a failure in my father’s eyes
And now I’ve become a failure in my own

She indeed is part of me, part of my love and mind
She’s free now but she dare not laugh, she’s so unsure of what’s to come
Waiting cautiously she hides resigned to the uncertainty
She could die unloved, unknown, or then again she could run free

I wish I could fulfil my father’s dreams
Wish I could fulfil my father’s dreams
Wish I could fulfil my father’s dreams
But I’ll settle for fulfilling my own

My Strange One

Barefoot, red haired, in subtle shading I’ve painted dream
My canvass was a sigh, my palette: memories
But no artist I, I cannot render true
The image in my mind’s eye, my beloved muse

Dusted keepsakes from stolen childhood, her gift to me
Icons from a past I couldn’t intervene
Scant comfort were my arms the nights when tremors reigned
Motes of hope in a world where nothing’s free

Sex sells, sex sells
But you sold me the moon
My strange one

Girl with the light in her eyes – shine
Gave me your dream to hold until I die
Sunset smiled upon dogged miles we walked entwined
Two dreamers on a road forged from brambled time

Sex sells, sex sells
But you sold me the stars
My strange one
Oh my strange one
Oh my strange one
Oh my strange one
Yay yeah yeah

Sex sells, sex sells
But you sold me a soul
My strange one
Sex sells, sex sells
Follow you to the grave
My strange one

Stigmata

Come closer
You're safe here now, friend
In the tiny room in my tiny mind
Your bruises tug and mend

Can't control
This feedback in my head
It makes me feel like Jesus
It makes me feel a man

I'm kissing the lovers as they attempt to tempt with
putrid pubescent fumblings that make me
Sicken and retch with every smug wimper
Blood seems to seep through every pore

Can you tell?
Feel my presence?
Can you feel my warm breath spreading down your back?

Blackened
Maligned, misunderstood
Pick the scabs to feel alive
Wouldn't heal if I could

I'm kissing the lovers as they attempt to tempt with
putrid pubescent fumblings that make me
Sicken and retch with every smug wimper
Blood seems to seep through every pore

Can you tell?
Feel my presence?
Can you feel my warm breath spreading down your back?

Sometimes I think I'm Jesus
Sometimes I think I'm fake
Sometimes I think I'm Jesus
Sometimes I think

Meek

I can't even belong to you
I can't relate to anyone
Your friends are so much better than me
You're all such beautiful beings
I 'm just nothing compared to you

I'm meek, I'm small
I'm meek, I'm small
I can't sleep unless I put myself down ten times
Oh I can't sleep unless I've put myself down

I write my wishes on the walls
In red and yellow crayon
No one bothers to read
No one bothers to see

I'm meek, I'm small
I'm meek, I'm small
I can't sleep unless I put myself down ten times
Oh I can't sleep unless I've put myself down

All I brought into your life
Has now become commonplace
All I brought new to you
Has faded into commonplace

I'm meek, I'm small
I'm meek, I'm small
I can't sleep unless I put myself down ten times
Oh I can't sleep unless I've put myself down

I've been called out in class
To later write a hundred times upon the board
In letters three feet tall
Dear Teacher I'll never have any worth at all
Dear Teacher I'll never be any use at all
Dear Teacher I'll never be as good as you

For You To Roam

I’ve been waiting for you to roam
Thought by now you’d be for leaving that home
Trampled under once his seed was sown
Esteem battered now your dreams have all flown
Shutter the windows and gutter the flame
Rescue lies beyond the stumbles and shame

Long I gazed into your blackening eyes
Long I’ve loved you wearing friendship’s disguise
Kept my distance, stayed my hand through the rage
Pushed affection through his jealousy’s cage
I don’t remember when all this began
Time tends to slip through trembling hands

Take a breath of freedom, shackles will fall
Leave the past behind the crumbling wall
Pay no heed to what the naysayers call
There's no truth to find in negative drawl
The silver lilt of siren-song will lead you away
Been singing since I met you, now the harmony stays

Remember, Remember My Winterling

The journey here wasn't easy,
but it was easier than some
And whilst you may not be around much now
I hope you're proud of the man I've become

We laid in shadows as the trains passed
I held you warm against the dew
And though we parted years ago
My mind oft meanders back to you

Remember, remember the cruel December?
Remember, remember the wind's banshee wail
That pierced our mansion of mouldering plaster
And bit at our bones though our maudlin clothes

If I fell upon my sword now
Would a bell chime? Would you light a candle?
Would you dare to let a tear fall?
Would your shoulders sag? Would you wonder "what if?"

Remember, remember the cruel December?
Remember, remember the wind's banshee wail
That pierced our mansion of mouldering plaster
And bit at our bones though our maudlin clothes

We lowered our heads and muttered conspiracies
We said we'd live as king and queen
Entrenched with the tribes of Thatcher's forgotten
Squatting in some condemned palace unseen

Remember, remember the cruel December?
Remember, remember the wind's banshee wail
That pierced our mansion of mouldering plaster
And bit at our bones though our maudlin clothes
But we were the richer for we had each other
As faithful companions and tentative lovers
But my winterling
Has flown On silver wings

Ugly Duckling

Mother's unwanted hatchling
Such a foul ugly duckling
Curdled the milk
From the breast you were suckling
Spent the night on the street
Whenever you pissed your sheets
By age nine the cobbles
Felt more like home

The fog's gentle fingers lighter than gossamer
Settle you down to some semblance of sleep
With a dirty rapscallion as a willing companion
While her mother pleased sailors
With her threepenny smile

Oh What did you see On the cusp of a dream?
What did you wake when your nails cut in deep?

Oh What did you see through your narcotic dream?
What did you take when your blade cut in deep?

Oh What did you feel through your necrotic dream?
What soul did you take when the spite cut in deep?

Tonight they'll be sorry
For you will rise, changed
They'll flee the reprisals
The rage of the newborn red dragon
That we once saw as pitiful, piss-soaked and weak

Mother's unwanted hatchling
Such a foul ugly duckling
Curdled the milk
From the breast you were suckling

Nomad Ten

Chrome islands, neon seas
You turned your back, you didn't see
Shifting sands, glacial flow
You haven't been, you wouldn't know
Polar winds, Northern lights
I missed your warmth those frigid nights
Midnight sun, barren wastes
I curse your absense and my haste

Anything but this
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
Any life but mine

Blackend sand and splintered keel
Molten glass and spinner's wheel
Icons hewn by bone and zeal
The fall of stone, the rise of steel
The broadsheets sing the victor's praise
As memory rots and truth decays
Hands are dealt and gambits played
And now we stride where once we strayed

Anything but this
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
Any life but mine
Anything but this
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
Any life but mine

Full Circle

Everything has come full circle - Oroborus smiled
Hope springs eternal, yet Aphrodite sighed

And I'll swear it ends, here and now with me
Here, now, with me
And I'll swear it ends, here and now with me
Here, now, with me

A daisychain, a daisychain in return for a blushing kiss
From the boy that punched your arm and then ran away
In that spring of innocence
In the year of nineteen seventysomething
Wet from dew and jeweled, we traded bruises and affection
I was that boy, you were that girl forgotten as the years unfurled

The dandylion clocks marked out the seconds til some seeming endless summer tired
And then the winds grew chill and the leaves ablaze from treetops fell

Winter mornings smelled of frost, horse chestnut and gunpowder from dud fireworks
and burned rubber from the factory across the dreary dying river with its single forlorn swan

Yeah I was the boy that cried
And you were the girl that didn't care that I cried
And I was the boy who didn't see you cried inside

I have to reflect sometimes
To remind me who I'm not
Yeah I have to reflect sometimes
To remind me I'm not you
To remind me I'm not you


Everything has come full circle - Oroborus smiled
Hope springs eternal yet Aphrodite sighed

And I'll swear it ends, here and now with me
Here, now, with me
And I'll swear it ends, here and now with me
Here, now, with me

SullenInnerChild

Taunt me with that frown of yours
Its similes and metaphors
Undressed me with a poet’s eyes
And watched me choke on my denial
You spoke to me in measured tones
Shifting muscle, skin and bones
A glance that echoed volumes
On a face that weathers storms

Before the courts of conscience, I stand alone accused
But the questions fall unanswered on the sunset of a bruise
When the voices in your head cease their chattering to scold
Your sullen inner child will pull the heads off all her dolls

Answering unspoken pleas
Touch on insecurities
Wake the spectre of the past
Its malice keeps you tethered fast
Stalked by its malignant prowl
Haunted by bestial howls
My futile urge to ground you
Earns me scant reprieve

Before the courts of conscience, I stand alone accused
But the questions fall unanswered on the sunset of a bruise
When the voices in your head cease their chattering to scold
Your sullen inner child will pull the heads off all her dolls

So you go
I can't follow
Deep inside
The guilt you shouldn’t feel

Flashback to a black caress
Suffered long under duress
Gagging on unwanted love
That came unbidden from above
Sinking deeper still within
A new voice born disturbs the din
You peer around bewildered
And you take the time to breathe

The Narrator

Frames your eyes as they look into space
Can't see life beyond these mirrors
All of your friends they go and come
Always seeing something wrong
They hope you never end this way
They hope you never end this way

I see your heart beating raw
I see your face
I see your eyes veering off
and I hear your voice
Your laughter could fill the room
And your laughter once filled this room

There are no words to this scene
No supporting cast, no props, no curtain
The narrator's gone for a minute...
And the director's on the phone

The scenary is just bare bones
I hear no prompt from the wings
A spotlight shines in my face
But still I stumble on

Your voice seeps from my head
DO NOTHING
I hear you. I obey. You heckle and jeer.
Seems I'm wrong whatever I do
Your laughter fills the room
Your laughter fills the room

Feel just like a virgin on my first night
Feel just like a virgin
As your laughter fills the room
Your laughter fills the room

I hold your hopes high
I pull your ropes tight
As I take my final bow
I am alone

The Son

Son I think it's time we spoke
Recently you've seemed remote
You've got it in you to be great
I've planned your progress to the grave
You're going to make your father proud
In a way I will allow
Your potential will be shown
Your success dictates my own

Swallowed pride sticks in craw
Learn to cope imperfectly
Learn to take life on the jaw
Son, you'll fit in perfectly

Don't you cry, don't you bawl
Or I'll give you something to cry for
Go through life with iron fists
A punch avoided's a victory missed
You're going to make your father proud
In a way I will allow
Your potential will be shown
Your success dictates my own

Swallowed pride sticks in craw
Learn to cope imperfectly
Learn to take life on the jaw
Son, you'll fit in perfectly
Know your place, keep in line
And you'll get on famously
Live your life just like mine
Welcome to my legacy

I Am Divine

Veined and spidered photos of girl with tomorrow eyes
A niaive lyric written by a younger hand than mine
Let them sleep, let them sleep
It's past, move on
Put them back in the box
Marked "do not dwell upon"

Breathe the ghosts between the lies
Haunting embers

Waking hagged and laden down, air rushing to my lungs
White noise from the ceiling fan sounds like some foreign tongue
Let me sleep, let me dream
Without guilt, without shame
Seratonin reuptake inhibited again

Still the fire that brands and binds
Sears and twists me
Nightmare faces in the flames
They reach and beckon

The dark has a life of its own
It voice makes no sound yet it's spoken your name
Shakes the memories loose from myself
And replays them over and over again...
to an audience of one....
replays them over and over again.....and again......
and again, til the dawn

Hands raised to the sky to touch the two faces of god
Ankle-deep barefoot to ground me - stand where no other has trod

The absentees walk in glee
And talk of beliefs in murmurs
We once conspired to flee this shire
And start our flight
Under auroralight

Under fire from all sides
I will not change, I am divine
And though betrayed and compromised
I will not break, I am divine
Head in hands for old times
I know no shame, I am divine

So here I am, uncomfortably exposed
I'll hide my intentions behind innuendo
And an uneasy underused smile
I flash at you from behind my guile

Music's deep within my soul
It defines me
Take this melody and go
But sleep uneasy...

Confession of a Willing Canvass

And if you cut me I do not bleed, I speak
Scratchy dry apologies for failings I can’t quite fathom
Even so I see your ire and I know
Somehow I’m the cause, I’m the reason

So take up this marker pen,
Permanent and black
And write of how I wronged you
A thousand times upon my back
Use expletives, symbols, anything
And then start upon my chest
I’ll wear it as a warning
And a lesson

And if you strike me I do not bruise, I sing
Faltering notes of a song I once heard
Forgive me for muddling the lines
It was years ago that I last knew the words

So take up this marker pen,
Permanent and black
And write of how you’ll fuck me
A thousand times upon my back
Use expletives, symbols, anything
And then start upon my chest
I’ll wear it as a blanket
And a prayer

If you mark me with your wishes and your words it will not sting
Layers upon layers of your guilt upon my skin
Let me be your manuscript, your canvass, your possession
I’ll wear it til it fades - my decoration, your confession

And then take up this marker pen,
Permanent and black
And scribble in chaos
Till you’ve covered my back
Use expletives, symbols, anything
And then start upon my chest
I’ll wear for love
And for comfort

Rubiksphere EP released!

Well on Saturday we spent a tiring but productive 7 hours in the studio and recorded four songs: The Untouchable, The Son, Drug-Fucked Mona Lisa and Family Ties (Welcome to the Revolution). Came out acetastic too, we're all really happy. To celebrate, we've made the EP available for free on our mp3.com.au site, and will be getting a whole heap of proper CDs done up to hand out to people, send to radio stations etc etc :)

Brought to you by the letter "L"

Also from Sam (who requested I went with 'L'):

Write ten words beginning with that letter, include an explanation of what each word means to you, and then pass out letters to those who want to play along.

1. Love. Feels like my sole reason for being a lot of the time.
2. Latin. I studied latin for a year at highschool. I didn't want to do it, preferring to do German instead, but my French wasn't strong enough. So latin it was. Taught by an awsome man, Mister White, who rhymed, danced and stamped his way through the lexicon, inspiring and amusing us all. Turns out that I've used latin for a lot more in my post-school life than I would have German. Plus, since coming to Australia, people tend to think of it as the intellectual choice!
3. Lurgee. Reminds me of my nan, who described many ills as "the dreaded lurgee"
4. Lello. My word for yellow when I was little. Not as good as urple though.
5. Little. What my Sammies is.
6. Led Zeppelin. Highly inspirational. Especially "battle of evermore", "Going to California" and "The Rain Song"
7. Loveable. What my Sammies is.
8. Lettuce. Big green bogie vegetable that tastes disgusting and people insist on putting in sandwhiches meaning I won't eat them.
9. Les Paul. One of my favourite guitars (Fender Jaguar doesn't start with L)
10. Longing. One of my primary emotions until I met Sammits.

Another meme (nicked from the Sammits of course)

You own...

Magazine: I have a collection of Fortean Times and a couple of Your Sinclairs
Newspaper: Only the local one
Candy bar: I've got some peanut M+Ms from easter
Cookie: I'm English, I eat biscuits. I've got some chocky chip ones
Mineral water: Eww.
Soft drink: Ice Break
Alcoholic drink: Jim Beam and Coke
Champagne: Er, no.
Lipstick: I probably have some somewhere
Mascara: Probably got some of that somewhere too
Moisturiser: Johnson & Johnson
Shampoo: For blonde/coloured hair
Scent/aftershave: Several
Toothpaste: Don't have any teeth...
Jeans: Several. Live my 3/4 pants.
Underwear: Lots
Sneakers: Ug, what's with the Americanisms. I've got some deck shoes somewhere
Watch: An imitation Rolex given to me by my ex-father in law Christmas 1997
Cellphone: Nokia
Portable music device: iPod Nano, 1GB
PC/laptop: AMD 64 4400+ dual core, 2 gig DDR2 memory, nVidia 7900 GT graphics
Necessary extravagance: Probably my guitars ;)


1. DO YOU SNORE?
Sometimes I think

2. ARE YOU LOVER OR A FIGHTER?
Lover

3. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
Something happening to Sam
Not being a father

4. AS A KID, WERE YOU A LEGO MANIAC?
Yes!

5. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF "REALITY" TV?
"mmm, boobies"

6. DO YOU CHEW ON YOUR STRAWS?
Sometimes

7. WERE YOU A CUTE BABY?
Of course!

8. IS THE SINGLE LIFE FOR YOU?
I was doing OK but something was definitely lacking until I met my Sammies

9. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR KEYBOARD?
Black

10. DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER?
In the shower, when cooking, when driving....

11. HAVE YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMPED?
I have more than 2 brain cells thanks.

12. ANY SECRET TALENTS?
Dunno about secret talents. I'm pretty good on guitar, pretty good at writing songs. I guess less people know that I'm not a bad writer.

13. WHAT'S YOUR IDEAL VACATION SPOT?
Brixham in Devon, England

14. IS JAY LENO FUNNY?
No

16. HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE "DONNIE DARKO"?
No

17. DO YOU GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE OZONE?
You mean "ozone" or "the ozone layer"
I give a damn about the ozone layer...

18. HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP?
A what?

19. CAN YOU SING THE ALPHABET BACKWARDS?
No, and that's really affected me seriously in adult life. If only I could.

20. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON AN AIRPLANE?
Yes. (London -> Madrid, Madrid -> London, London -> Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur -> Brisbane, Brisbane -> Sydney, Sydney -> Brisbane, Brisbane -> Melbourne, Melbourne -> Brisbane)

23. WHAT'S YOUR STAND ON HUNTING?
To live, it's fine. For sport, it's terribly wrong.

24. IS MARRIAGE IN YOUR FUTURE?
Yes.

25. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Not really.

26. WHAT ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO?
Strawberries. Some biological washing powders

27. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAID, "I LOVE YOU"?
This morning.

28. IS ELVIS STILL ALIVE?
As long as he's no longer trying to sing or pretending to play the guitar, I don't care.

29. DO YOU CRY AT WEDDINGS?
Yes.

30. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
Fertilised. Well, they wouldn't be *mine* I suppose.
If we're talking edible eggs, I like them chocolate as in the Easter variety.

31. ARE BLONDES DUMB?
I like Sam's answer -> Do you hold your brain cells in your hair follicles?

32. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HIT ON?
Who'd hit on me?

33. WHAT TIME IS IT?
12:45

34. DO YOU HAVE A NICKNAME?
Several.

35. IS MCDONALD'S DISGUSTING?
Yes.

36. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE IN A CAR?
This morning.

37. SHOWERS OR BATHS?
Depends on my mood. Showers are a great wake-up in the morning, but a bath is nice and relaxing.

38. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU LEARNED THAT SANTA WASN'T REAL?
Too young.

39. DO YOU LIKE TO KISS?
Yes.

41. WHAT ARE YOU ADDICTED TO?
Cigarettes unfortunately, Ice Break Ice Coffee

42. creamy or crunchy peanut butter?
Crunchy I suppose.

43. CAN YOU CRACK YOUR NECK?
Yes.

44. HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN IN AN AMBULANCE?
Yes - after coming off my bike when I was 9

45. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BRUSHED YOUR TEETH TODAY?
What teeth?

46. IS DRUG FREE THE WAY TO BE?
It works for me.

48. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES?
Blue

49. DO YOU LIKE TURKEY SANDWICHES?
Yes

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR LIFE?
In the main, yes.

51. WHO'S BETTER TOUCAN SAM OR TONY THE TIGER?
I only know Tony the Tiger, and he annoys me. I like real toucans.

52. ARE YOU PSYCHIC?
The voices tell me I am.

53. HAVE YOU READ "CATCHER IN THE RYE"?
No.

54. DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS?
Guitar very well, Bass pretty well, keyboards.. well not so great on them

55. HAVE U EVER STOLEN MONEY?
No.

56. CAN YOU SNOWBOARD?
No.

57. DO YOU LIKE CAMPING?
Yes.

58. DO U SNORT WHEN U LAUGH?
Sometimes

59. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?
Yes.

60. WHERE DO YOU WORK?
In the IT department of a University

61. DO YOU BELIEVE IN DIVORCE?
I *am* divorced. I didn't want to be at the time but now I see it was probably for the best. Both my ex and I are pretty happy these days, we have new lives but we can pass each other in the street or phone each other and have a good conversation, so it's a definite improvement.

62. CAN YOU DO THE MOONWALK?
Probably. Why would I want to though?

64. IS IT COLD OUTSIDE TODAY?
A little. I actually like this time of year

65. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Satay Chicken and fried rice

66. DO YOU WEAR MAKEUP?
Nail polish
(though I've worn other stuff in the past for a laugh or a party)

67. DO YOU WEAR JEANS?
Yes!

68. WHAT'S THE MOST ANNOYING TV COMMERCIAL?
The sex-chat ads

69. FAVORITE BAND AT THE MOMENT?
As always really:
Nirvana, Led Zep, Pearl Jam, John Butler Trio, REM, Therapy

70. WHAT DO YOU MISS RIGHT NOW?
My mum.


1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
"Tuesday"
(the only book near me is my work diary)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you hit?
One of my colleagues. Ouch. He's quite solid and now also quite annoyed.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Midsommer Murders

4. Without looking, guess what time it is:
One.

5. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
A colleague on the phone to a client, a microwave beeping

6. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
12:00 - I went for coffee

7. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
A plastic duck

8. What are you wearing?
Dress pants, navy blue shirt, odd socks (both fluffy, both Sam's, one purple, one blue)

9. Did you dream last night?
Yes. I had a dream that my parents arrived in Australia to meet my kids - twin girls and a boy, and to attend my wedding to Sam (who was expecting number 4). At some point my sister appeared but could only speak French. My dad then hired a boat and tried to sail to Sydney.

10. When did you last laugh?
When remembering my dream.

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Shelves, an "I love Unix" sticker, pictures of my cats, a picture of Sam, my award for Outstanding Client Service or Initiative by a Team.

12. Seen anything weird lately?
Shane without his beard. It's not exactly weird, just different.
Sam turning down chinese food was kinda weird, but she's not feeling well

13. What do you think of this quiz?
" "

14. What is the last film you saw?
Ice Age II with Sam at the cinema. Was nice to go out and do something together.

15. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A truckload of guitars, a recording studio, a van, a house...
I'd also pay off my Parent's mortgage and give them tickets for a cruise to Australia (mum can't fly)

16. Tell me something about you that I don't know.
Gawd, I don't know

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Bring back the dinosaurs. I want a pet minature brontosaurus named "gummy"

18. Do you like to dance?
No

19. George Bush.
Feed him to Margaret Thatcher.

20. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Tamsyn

21. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Joshi

22. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I *am* living abroad.
I'd consider going back to England if Sam wanted it, I'd also be quite happy
living in Northern Spain, Scotland or New Zealand. To be honest, I'd rather stay
here now I've settled.

23. 6 people who must also do this in THEIR journal:
That sounds way too dictatorial for me.

Another meme thingamybob

Would you rather:

[ ] Ask someone out
[x] Be asked out

[x] Be poor and live till you're 100
[ ] Be rich and live till you're 30

[x] Be blind
[ ] Be deaf

[x]Have it be winter all year round
[ ] Have it be summer all year round

[ ] Be beautiful
[x] Be loved

[ ] Take a bath
[x] Take a shower

[x] Be born poor and die rich
[ ] Be born rich and die poor

[ ] Never have to go to school
[x] Never have to go to the doctor's/dentists

[ ] Never feel physical pain
[x] Never feel emotional pain

[x] Wear glasses/contacts
[ ] Wear braces


'X' WHAT YOU HAVE DONE...

[x]Slept all night in a bed with a person of the opposite sex
[ ] Slept all night in a bed with a person of the same sex
[x] Slept for more than 12 hours
[x] Missed a week of school or more
[ ]Put lip gloss on more than 5 times in an hour
[ ] Kissed more than one person in a day
[ ] Kissed more than two people in a day
[ ] Created a my space survey
[ ] Eaten a worm
[ ] Jumped on a trampoline
[ ] Ridden a unicycle
[x] Done something special for someone else
[ ] Stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant
[x] Paid more than $50 for food at a fast food restaurant
[ ] Got caught for cheating (on a test)
[ ] Talked on the phone while in the shower
[ ] Brushed your teeth while on the phone
[ ] Worked in fast food place
[x] Written a poem
[x] Randomly called people out of a phone book
[ ] Been on a yacht
[ ] Put bananas in your cheerios
[x] Lied to a friend to make them feel better
[ ] Dated someone more than 1 year older than you
[x] Eaten frosting out of the original container
[ ] Had a dream about a my space friend
[x] Fallen in public
[x] Had your pants rip
[ ] Recently had a PB&J sandwich
[ ] Met your principals parents
[ ] Killed an animal
[x] Wished you were an only child
[ ] Used your friends razor with out them knowing
[x] Been unproud of a decision you made
[ ] Worked for a family member
[x] Been told you were too young
[x] Made out in a car
[x] Been to a concert
[ ] Gotten away with a lie to your parents
[ ] Been dumped the night of a dance and left with out a date
[x] Been cheated on
[ ] Gone out with a person one of your parents set you up with
[ ] Hate to admit you are wrong
[x] Ridden on a shopping cart
[x] Danced in a grocery store
[x] Went into a mini mart in socks
[x] Worn a tiara
[x] Been in a play
[ ] Gone to church/temple more than 2 times in a week
[ ] Copied more than 30 CD's in a day
[ ] Made a movie
[x] Worn 5 or more layers of clothing
[ ] Been to California
[ ] Been to Florida
[ ] Lived on a house boat
[x] Swam in clear blue water
[x] Sat in a doctors office with a friend
[x] Ran across 4 lanes of traffic
[x] Made fish lips
[x] Hit on a waitress/waiter
[x] Taken pictures with a stranger
[ ] Been to Busch Gardens
[ ] Stayed in a hotel room with 2 other school mates
[ ] Made a public speech
[ ] Been on cable television
[ ] Choreographed a dance
[x] Felt used
[x] Made a smoothie or milkshake
[x] Had fun at work
[x] Watched Desperate Housewives
[x] Watched a movie so often you could quote every word
[ ] Listened to an NSYNC or Backstreet Boys CD
[x] Kept something from a past relationship
[x] Given someone else flowers
[x] Taken a foreign language
[ ] Gotten to school at 6:15 in the morning

You are
[ ] Short, under 5'0
[ ] 5'0 - 5'3
[ ] 5'4 - 5'6
[ ] 5'6 -5'7"
[ ]5'8" - 6'1"
[x] Tall 6'2 and up

NATURALLY
[ ] Blonde
[ ]Redhead
[ ] Auburn
[ ] Brunette
[ ] Dirty blonde/brownish
[x] Light brown
[ ] Dark brown
[ ] Black
[ ] Dont remember


[x] Blue-eyed
[ ] Brown-eyed
[ ] Green-eyed
[ ] Hazel eyed
[ ] Gold/gray-eyed
[ ] Silver/gray- eyed
[ ] Blue/green-eyed
[ ] Blue/grey-eyed
[ ] They change colors


[ ] Glasses
[ ] Contacts
[x] Neither
[ ] Have them.
[ ] Both

Hair Length

[ ]Short hair
[x] Medium
[ ] Long
[ ] Mohawk


You cant stand listening to? (What dont you like?)

[x] Country
[x] Classical
[x] Techno
[ ] Oldies
[x] Opera
[x] Reggae
[ ] emo
[ ] 80's
[x] Disco
[ ] Metal
[x] Hardcore
[ ] Rock
[x] Rap/hip-hop
[x] R&B
[ ] Classic rock
[x] Polka

The pets you have HAD or have?

[x] Cat
[x] Dog
[ ] Lizard
[x] Rat
[ ] Ferret
[x] Bunny
[x] Fish
[ ] Duck
[ ] Horse
[ ] Bird
[ ] Frog
[ ] Hermit crab
[ ] Prairie dog
[ ] Turtle
[ ] Hamster
[ ] Snake
[ ] Gerbil
[x] Guinea pig
[ ] Pig
[ ] Goat
[ ] Chinchilla
[ ] Tarantula
[ ] Geese
[ ] Chicken
[ ] Sugar glider
[ ] Mouse
[ ] None

Clothing Brands you like? (you dont have to wear them)

[ ] American Eagle
[ ] Hollister
[ ] The Buckle
[ ] Abercrombie
[ ] Wal-mart
[ ] Wet Seal
[ ] O'neill
[ ] PacSun
[ ] Aeropostale
[ ] Dickies
[ ] Roxy
[ ] Anchor Blue
[ ] Guess
[x] Hot Topic
[ ] Lucky
[ ] Champs
[x] Salvation army/goodwill
[x] other thrift stores. VINTAGE!
[x] If i like it i'll wear it
[x] Old navy
[ ] Nude
[ ] G Unit
[ ] South Pole
[ ] Baby Phat
[ ] Ecko
[ ] Volcom
[ ] Other
[ ] Forever 21
[ ] Victoria's Secret

Your confessions:

[ ] I am really ticklish.
[ ] I've collected comic books.
[x] I read / watch the news.
[ ] I love Disney movies.
[x] I don't like killing bugs.
[ ] I have/have had "xs in my screen name.
[ ] I cook well.
[ ] I have worn pajamas to class.
[ ] I like Martha Stewart.
[ ] I am guilty of typing lIkE tHiS.
[x] I'm self-conscious.
[x] I love to laugh.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[x] I bite my nails.
[x] Gotten lost in the city.
[x] Gone out in public in your underwear.
[ ] Made out in an elevator.
[ ] Been skydiving
[ ] Been bungee jumping.
[x] Bitten someone.
[ ] Egged a house/car.
[ ] Ding-dong ditched someone.
[ ] Crashed into a car.
[ ] Been fired.
[ ] Been skinny-dipping.


Have you ever...

[ ] Stolen a sign
[x] Danced in the rain
[x] Seen a shooting star
[x] Proposed to anyone
[x] Gotten stitches
[x] Eaten Sushi
[x] Gotten the chicken pox
[x] Ridden in a taxi
[x] Went on a cruise ship
[x] Driven over 400 miles in one day
[x] Been on a plane by yourself
[x] Had surgery
[x] Seen a movie more than 3 times
[x] Been on stage
[x] Gotten a black eye
[x] Memorized all the dialogue in a movie
[ ] Watched an entire baseball game on TV

Do you like...
[x] Old movies
[ ] Musicals
[x] Blasting music in the car
[x] Donuts
[x] Animals
[x] Coffee

In 2006 You...

[ ] Broke a promise
[x] Made a new friend
[x] fell in love
[ ] Fell out of love
[ ] Did something you swore you'd never do.
[ ] Lied to my mom and dad
[ ] Disappointed someone close
[x] Hidden a secret
[ ] Pretended to be happy
[ ] Got arrested
[ ] Slept under the stars
[ ] Kept your new years resolution
[x] Forgot your new years resolution
[x] Met someone who changed your life
[ ] Met one of your idols
[x] Changed your outlook on life
[x] Sat home all day doing nothing
[ ] Pretended to be sick
[ ] Left the country
[ ] Almost died
[ ] Given up something important to you
[ ] Lost something expensive
[x] Learned something new about yourself
[x] Tried something you normally wouldnt try and liked it
[x] Made a change in your life
[x] Found out who your true friends were.
[ ] Made a total fool of yourself
[x] Met great people

Finding Meme

I am a cuddler - Depends on who, but yes I'm pretty cuddly.
I am a morning person – Heh, not until I've had a coffee.
I am a perfectionist – Oddly, yes.
I am an only child - Nope. I have a sister
I am currently in my pajamas - Nope, but not far off.
I am currently pregnant – I'd be a medical miracle ;)
I am currently single - Nope, I have a Sammies
I am currently suffering from a broken heart - Nope
I am okay at styling other people's hair – Hehehehe. Depends where the hair is ;)
I am left handed - Nope. Dad and Sis are. Mum and I are right handed.
I am online 24/7, even as an away message - Technically, yes.
I am very shy around the opposite gender at first – Less shy than round the same gender
I bite my nails - No, but I do paint them!
I can be paranoid at times - yeah
I currently have a crush on someone – hehe most definitely
I currently regret something that I have done - No.
When I get mad I curse frequently – Heh. Yes I guess I do.
I enjoy country music – Nah, not really my thing
I enjoy jazz music - Gawd no.
I enjoy smoothies – oooh yeah. banana and honey thanks :)
I enjoy talking on the phone - Depends who to.
I have a cell phone - Technically it's work's
I have a hard time paying attention at school – Depending on the lesson. I was glued to attention for Science :)
I have a hidden talent – I think my talents are fairly well known
I have a lot to learn - Don't we all?
I have a pet - Two cats, not forgetting Sam's critters :)
I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal - True
I have a tendency to fall for the "wrong" guy/girl - At times, possibly
I have all my grandparents - No, my dad's mum is still with me :)
I have at least one brother and/or sister - Yup
I have been told that I am smart – True.
I have been told that I have an unusual sense of humor - True.
I have broken a bone – False, but I've fractured one
I have bathed someone - True.
I have changed a diaper nappy – My time will come.
I have changed a lot over the past year – Last 4 years, definitely. This last year I've not so much changed as rediscovered dormant facets of me.
I have done something illegal - True, but nothing you'd hate me for
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color - False
I have killed another person – No way
I have had my hair cut within the last week - No but I did start waxing my legs!!
I have had the cops called on me - *cough* once
I have kissed someone I knew I shouldn't – nope.

:)

Right now, I'm sat chatting online whilst singing The Who rather loudly and playing air guitar and my girlfriend in the next room just requested I turn it up and sing louder.

I can't remember the last time I was this happy.

Sky-born blue-grey eyes

... oddly been listening to Paul McDermott/Fiona Horne's version of Shut up and kiss me a lot recently. Can't think why ;)

I've had a great week. The project is nearly over, calls from clients with issues with the new system are dwindling which is great (though week 1 of semester might be busier again) Sam stayed over much of the week which has been really nice - her ex was staying with an unspecified friend, so why shouldn't she?

Currently I'm sampling in a number of new songs from the last band practice tape. They definitely have a lot of potential. Ironically, one of 'em is very Nirvana-esque to my ear... and the other guys wrote it the week I wasn't there cos I was working, hehe. Another's very Sonic Youthy, and a third's quite Dandy Warhols. There's a few more on this and other tapes, which is all very exciting!

Yesterday was Sam's work thingy where the staff and some of the kids and parents from work meet up in South Bank at the 'fake beach' that's there. We had a wonderful afternoon with all the kiddlies loving the water, sand and playground. After that Sam and I had a wander round the markets, miraculously not buying anything (though we WERE tempted by the 8-flavour rainbow slurpees... they were GREAT). We also got lured into one of the lolly shops... Mmmm, giant smarties....

After Southbank, we went over to Mick and Naomi's for a KFC dinner and some interesting Tarot readings (mine especially). When we eventually got back here, we found a lost lil kitty on my front steps. She's currently in my laundry wolfing down kitty food. We put up a few notices, so hopefully her owners will give me a call - she's such a cutie. Big purr and totally adorable, but I can't look after her on top of the other two, so I'll have to find her real owners or a new home for her ASAP. It's a pretty cool day today so she's ok in the laundry, but it can get pretty warm there some days. I daren't bring her indoors as a) she might not be innoculated and have something that could hurt my cats and b) she's so small my two's feak the hell out of her

I'm going to have to sort my laundry out soon, restring a guitar or two and get ready for band. We should be playing Dooley's open mic night on Tues all going well, so nip in if you can - being open-mic, I have no idea when we'll be on though.

Well, I guess it's not a secret anymore

I'm no longer single :)

It wasn't really a secret that I was seeing a certain someone quite a lot, and our relationship was 'made official' last weekend. I'm very happy, and right at the moment waiting for her to finish work.

Main reason for keeping everything low key is so as not to upset a third party, (though he wasn't kept in the dark) just not rubbing noses in anything.

Eep! Tagged

Well I got tagged by the Squishmeister, so here we go...

4 jobs you've had in your life

* Fixing computers, video recorders etc (first part-time job, which paid for my first leccy guitar, hurrah!)
* Freelance journalist for Your Sinclair Magazine (OK so I only wrote a couple of articles, but hey I'm proud of this one)
* Programmer (In Fortran running on VMS no less... this evolved into designing and implementing informational displays for SCADA systems. Lost? don't worry)
* Unix System Engineer (aka Professional Nerd hehe)


4 movies you could watch over and over

* Aliens
* 10 Things I Hate About You
* Baseketball
* Ladyhawke


4 places you've lived

* Broughton Gifford (Small village in Wiltshire, England - When I was first born my parents were living with my nan - this was the village my Dad grew up in and I'm very attached to it)
* Melksham (Small town in Wiltshire, England - This is where I grew up)
* Wynnum (Near Brisbane, QLD - Lived here for a while whilst married)
* Carina (Brisbane, QLD - Lived here for a while whilst married and moved back when marriage ended. This is where my cats grew up)

4 places you've been on vacation to

* Brixham, Devon, England (This is where my mum was born and raised. It's a small fishing town on the south coast of England near Torquay. Like the village where my dad grew up, I feel a very strong attachment to this place - moreso than the town where I actually grew up. This town is responsible for my love of being barefoot and of flipflops/thongs)
* Port of Menteith, Scotland (Beautiful part of the world. Very peaceful, and not too far from Loch Lomond)
* Maloolah, Queensland (My ex-wife's family have a property here. Again beautiful surroundings and very quiet. I used to love visiting here - we'd always have great fun at christmas - I always felt very welcome, they're wonderful people)
* Porthcawl, Wales (Ex-wife and I spent some time here staying with some friends Steve and Debbie. We did a tour of the pubs, a bit of camping, and memorably watched Wales play rugby against England on the telly in one of the pubs... I pretended to be Australian and cheered Wales on to avoid trouble...)

4 places you would rather be

Actually pretty happy here right now ;)
But I'd like to revisit
* Broughton Gifford in England(and surrounds of course!)
* Ponferada in Northern Spain (I worked here for a month and it was great)
* Brixham in England (My heart lives in Devon, I always wanted to retire here)
* Melbourne (I only passed through on the way to the AVCC programme but liked the area and I know it has a great live music scene)

4 of your favourite foods

* The 1/2 pounder + kebab + chili burgers from the kebab place in Melksham
* Special curry and egg fried rice from the chinese in Melksham
* Pretty much anything from Elios in Carina Hights
* Madras/Vindaloo from Kumar in Coopers Plains

4 of your favourite beverages

* Toohey's Old
* Jim Beam and Coke
* Ice Break Iced Coffee
* Pink moo milk

4 (or more) websites you visit daily

* http://www.theregister.co.uk
* http://mp3.com.au/rubiksphere
* Squishi's blog
* Bron's blog


4 people I tag

Ooh I dunno. The people I'd have tagged have already been tagged I think

* Nummies
* Bron
* Frankle
* Lemming

The Week in Geelong

All last week I was on the AVCC's Leadership Programme which was run at Deakin Uni's Management Centre. It was a week of wine, beer, rabbits and making some great new friends. That of course was the social aspect of the programme - it encouraged networking with other members of the course whilst introducing leadership values and looking at challenges in the Higher Education sector. It was an incredibly valuable experience for me, developing skills which will be benificial to me both at work and in my home life. Very empowering. It was suprisingly tough to say goodbye at the end of the week, and plans are already being made for some of us to meet up again in the future (unfortunately as we came from universities all over Australia, it's going to be tough to get the whole gang back together).

All week there was a bit of a pattern: Get up at 7, shower, go for breakfast (black coffee, bacon and sausages featured heavily on the menu for me), go to mornign presentations, head off into our sub-group to work on a presentation, do presentation, lunch (buffet - some great choices of food), afternoon session which usually involved team activites, dinner (which was excellent, plentiful and came with seemingly endless red wine), evening session, then playing pool and drinks until after midnight...

Yes, I drank more than I usually do, yes I got up and danced during the 'disco night' when one of the girls got the DJ to play Smells Like Teen Spirit for me and yes, I helped one of the girls "stage dive" from the stairs (Megan, you're a nutcase). I also started a barefoot trend on the disco night. Go me! It's usual for the girls to kick off their shoes to dance, but THIS time it was mainly the guys who were shoeless (but good on ya Claire, Lisa, Megan, Sonia etc for joining in eventually - Go the Toe Club LOL)

The only two downpoints of the whole week were that my kitties missed me and I couldn't meet up with Mands (she was busy lunchtime then her phone was off most of the afternoon and evening) and Elle (she was out of town)

I even enjoyed public speaking. Yes! Enjoyed (so much so that when I got into the swing of it, I spoke for 15 minutes rather than 5... that's something I need to work on...)

Willow and Tammy are making a big fuss of me since I got back. Willow keeps telling me off for going away and I woke up this morning with two cats firmly planted on me sleeping.

I got back home yesterday about 8:30 in the evening after a good flight and a long queue for taxis. I managed to stay up until midnight despite only getting 2 and a half hour's sleep the night before (I was up drinking until 4am after the disco thingy - and good on Tom, Claire and Lisa for sticking around too - I hope you're feeling better now Lisa ;) )

Everybody's doin' it....

....everybody's walkin' da fridge!

Yes, today Mick and I decided to take his old fridge for a walk. Being slightly aged and tired, we loaded El Fridgeo onto a trolly of doom borrowed from workand rolled it along the street. The neighbours obviously approved of our fridge-friendly shenanigans (though one really needs to look where he's driving) After a quick stop at some trees so Fridgy could do what fridges need to do at trees, we managed to get it all the way to this house where, wagging it's power cord in glee, the fridge now resides. I hope it doesn't fight with the microwave.

It's been an odd week this week - taking the fridge for a walk was just the tip of the iceberg. It goes something like this:

Monday, returned to work after a week off. Was asked to move desk as I'd be starting on a project in a week (tomorrow now), and needed to sit at the projects desk. OK. Then I got word from the Real Estate agents that the carpet cleaner had called to say the carpets were covered in cat pee (see earlier entry). Then I got told that I'd been got an interview for the Snr Security role. On Friday. And I had to do a presentation. I also came down with a coldy-fluey thing, sore throat and so on.

Monday night (well, early hours of tuesday morning) I woke with a feaver. Tuesday at 8am, I woke without a feaver. Odd. Felt ill most of the week, was blocked up, sore throat, husky voice etc - was dreading the interview because I was convinced I'd make no sense or lose my voice halfway through.

Thursday night was another suit fitting for Shane and Jill's wedding. Dave, Shane and I were in 3 cubicles in a row changing - Dave in the middle. Feeling daft, I tapped on the wall between dave and I. "Daaaaaaaaaave, you got any paper in yours??"
Giggling ensued. Shane, wanting in, called "What are you girls giggling about?" So I repeated myself, slightly louder for Shane's benifit "shaaaaaane, got any paper in yours?"

We exited cubicles to find we'd been entertaing the rest of the staff and other shoppers...

Friday I got up early, went to work and reread the selection criteria for the job, did some googling etc. As ya do. Interview went pretty well - the usual couple of questions you wish you'd answered a bit more fully, or worded differently, and the usual one-you-were-reading-about-but-wish-youd-read-more. But pretty well.
The presentation, I'd been dreading. Worried I'd lose my voice (thanks for the soothers, Jan), or walk into the whiteboard or something due to my ears being blocked and affecting my balance... but it all went fine. I finished the presentation feeling rather pleased with myself.

After the presentation I found that out of four people shortlisted, two had dropped out. So there's one other person to be interviewed, and I should find out one way or another by the end of the week.

Yesterday I was strangely productive (usually I'll sleep in) as I got paged twice fairly early in the morning, so I stayed up and put washing on, did a bit more unpacking and so on.

Last night was Shane and Jill's combo bucks/hens night at The Pavillion. Was great - the nibblies were excellent, the atmosphere was nice and we even got a few games of pool in (I beat Shane, then beat Justin, then Justin and I beat Jill's bro and Shane's cousin in a game of doubles -- not wishing to appear bragging or anything, it's just years since I've played, and I wasn't ever particularly good, so I was quite shocked) Shane had a laugh with his buck's devil horns and ball and chain. Jill just looked sweet and radiant in her sash, tiarra and veil.

So yeah it's been an odd, mixed week!

Home.. that's where the heart is

Hurdi hodi!

Well, in a move which will startle and amaze, Bigpond were true to their word and connected me up to cable internet this morning - 2 days after moving house. No hitches, no messing around, cabled up and on the net by 9am. Superb. I have a new email address, which is the only drawback, and that's not really an issue as I only have a few contacts to let know, and a small number of subscribed mailing lists. The spammers will probably have trouble getting it too as its not a name/surname combo.

Anyway, the moving. Well first it seemed it was all gonna be a nightmare - Shane had an exam Saturday morning so we couldn't start till later on in the day (I did get up early and do more packing though, brought a load over to the new place, and then went back and did it again before picking Mick up). On top of this, Shanes folks were using their trailer and my back was still sore and causing muscle pain in my legs after the incident with the heavy box last weekend.

Well after an unpromising start, I managed to hire a trailer and Shane and Mick busted a gut several times over getting some awkward and heavy furnature out of the house. First stop was the tip, where we got rid of a load of stuff and witnessed what seemed to be the result of a split-up (guy next to us was merrily lobbing a PC, monitor, assrted girly things over into the pit and grinning when the monitor exploded etc). Then we got a LOT of things moved to the new house, including my half-dead fridge, which I'd not been able to move to defrost and was full of ice still as we'd forgotten to put it outside. Ice is freaking heavy, and remember that I was completely unable to help. Both Mick and Shane deserve a medal (and will get some token of my appreciation when I get paid)

Due to time constraints, we didn't manage to get all the furnature over, and one of the rooms (my old computer room) was still full of junk, computer desks etc. I called mum to let her know my new details, then made my bed before realising that the cats needed to be introduced to their new home (they'd been shut in the bathroom while we were moving the last stuff in)

So that was Saturday. I eventually crawled into bed but didn't sleep much as the cats were aquainting themselves with every nook and cranny they could find. They seem happy though, which is good cos Tammy'd been very much on edge all week (making herself sick in fact). Thanks to Mandles for the SMSs :)

Sunday I picked Nums up as she'd offered to help me clean up. Remember that at this point there was still a lot of crap to move from the old house, and one room was hardly packed at all. As I was carrying Nums' vaccume cleaner to the car I stumbled and twisted funny. I braced myself for the inevetable back pain as there'd been an audible *crack* as I twisted. There was none. I stretched and bent a bit. All good.
If only that'd happened earlier in the week :/

Frank, Oreon and IRCaddict had offered their help, so we gave them a call too - many hands make light work and all that. IRCaddict brought his trolly lift and Tony arrived with Frank and Oreon, so we ended up with 5 of us. We hired a slightly bigger trailer and made another run to the dump, dropping off an old wardrobe, two old 2 seater sofas and various other assorted crap (including a large number of old PCs - interesting to note that IBM PCs shatter when they bounce off a wardrobe into the pit of doom) yes girls, I finally dumped a lot of my old computer crap (but the amigas and spectrum are still with me). Thanks to my back cracking earlier in the day I was actually able to be useful and carry things (even a 21" monitor at one point which shocked even me)

The second run brought the remains of my furnature and large boxes to the new house. Nums and Frank had done a wonderful job of cleaning and packing up the kitchen, laundry and the available parts of the living room and bedroom. Tony had excelled himself in what had once been Karen's room - it was completely clear, vaccumed and looking great!

Mick and Nums made a wonderful lasagne yesterday, which was absolutely spectacular especially after all the moving. Nums dropped me off another serving on her way to work :) I hear the lunch bell ringing ;)

So with the unpacking I did last night and this morning, I now have a computer, TV, microwave and bed set up. Perfect bachelor pad (shame I'm not the perfect bachelor)
I have a lot of cabling and unboxing to do yet though, and I need to brave turning the fridge on (we're not sure if it survived the journey as it's old and decrepit.. also it's now living in the laundry cos bits fell off)

When I get my bond back from the old place, one thing I'll be getting is a futon sofa for the living room. In the old place I just had the computer set up in the corner and watched telly from there (though I watched more telly in bed anyway). Here, I'm going to have visitors more often (I hope!) with Mick, Nums, Oreon, Frank, Psigh, Robbie, Pete, Bron, James and Sam all living closer.

The move's had an effect on Tammy - she's a LOT more social. She was giving the telstra guy a lot of love earlier, and has been markedly more affectionate and less stand-offish all round. She's also stopped being sick which is a big relief - I was going to take her to the vet for a checkup if she didn't settle (she's very sensitive to change and really doesn't like seeing boxes packed)

Today, I'm taking a day off the whole moving thing.. well sort of - I've still got a few phonecalls to make to update my details, and I have to go over to the old house to put the bins out so I might as well bring some more boxes of stuff back (plus I could do with my asthma inhaler and a mousemat). Tomorrow I visit scrubville, but today... today jeffski has a day of (almost) rest.

Ramble on

...now's the time, the time is now

Well nearly. In about an hour, I make the trip to the real estate agent's to pick up the keys and deposit my first load of boxes in the new house I'm still only about halfway through packing, though as Shanus has an exam tomorrow morning I have more time than I planned for, so my aim of a BF2 night tonight might still be attained :)

The cats are now very aware something's going on. They love all the boxes, and every time I'm sat still they're all over me (don't worry Girls, I won't leave you behind). Currently listening to Smashing Pumpkins' Adore album. I've just chucked a whole heap of crap out which is very liberating, including a couple of photos my ex left behind of her snogging her previous sap (ok, so one ended up burned and buried in cat litter... I'm not bitter really, needed closure). I figure she's had 3 years to collect her final odds and sods and hasn't, so they can go. It's mainly old clothes she hadn't worn for years anyway.

Bloke just arrived to collect the foxtel box. Was sposed to be this morning but he was running late and I *had* said I'd be in all day, so it's all good (except I could have given Nums a lift into work)

So. It's now about 2:30 in the afternoon. at 3:30 I'm off to get the keys. I've pretty much sorted the laundry, bedroom and living room out and will do most of the kitchen stuff during the sunday cleanup. That still leaves two rooms that I've hardly touched, and one is my old computer room which will need a LOT of sorting and also has the most furnature in (a wardrobe, 3 tables and a set of draws) so I'll need to get that done before tomorrow arvo. THere's a heap of stuff needs to be cleared before the tables can move. Fun fun fun.

Back is holding up pretty well, though I do need to keep taking breaks due to getting a bit sore.

All in all, I'm looking forward to all the packing, moving and cleaning being over so I can settle in the new place. Already have some plans for what to do with the bond money when I get it back - I had to save a new bond amount this time as I've got a week overlap of renting both houses so there's plenty of time to do everything (glad I did that considering the back issues).

Tomorrow should go fairly easily - The Lemming and Shanus are helping carry things, with Shanus bringing his wagon and his parent's trailer we should get the big stuff over in just 1 or two trips. I'm not looking forward to sunday - Nummies is helping out, bless her, but I really hate mopping floors and scrubbing ovens etc.

New location's ace - it's near work, Lemming and Nums, Pete and Bron, Frank, Psigh, Robbie and Orz, not too far from Shane and where the band practices. The house is pretty cool - not QUITE the sort of house I wanted to move into, but it'll be just fine. Plenty of space between me and the neighbours so hopefully the guitar wont annoy anyone (besides it's on a main road)

I got my job application in yesterday (for the Snr IT Security Specialist position). Fingers crossed for me - it's more responsibility (and thus more money) but mainly it's still in an area I like working in and concentrates on the aspect of IT that I'm most interested in.

OK, well Billy Corgan's calling me back to packing (I guess I should pack the stereo soon... just one more album.. maybe two...)

Meeting the Squish

Well I was going to make this post yesterday. Unfortunately whilst packing for my imminant move (this coming Saturday) I managed to pull a muscle in my lower back and so spent most of the day in pain and in bed. I tried to drive to the chemists and the local shop, but couldn't move my right leg too easily so braking would have been an issue, so I didn't even pull off my driveway.

Today I woke up still in pain, so had to take the day off work as I wouldnt have been able to drive there safely let alone walk from the car to the office or sit at my desk for long. This arvo I got up feeling a lot less pain, managed to drive to the local shop and even pack a couple of (light!) boxes though I'm still having to take frequent breaks to lie down. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be right for the weekend. Bloody typical that it should happen now (well the injury was sustained whilst moving a box of books, so I spose it's not likely to have happened if I wasn't moving)

Anyway, onto happier things - Da Squishter's visit :)

I've been talking to Squish online for YEARS. She was there in a little chat window for me when I was living alone after San left me. She was there when Karen and I were having issues. She was there when Karen left. You get the idea. I've been able to repay the favour recently when Squish has had things she's needed to talk about. As online friendships go, we're pretty close.

It was wonderful then to finally meet her on Saturday, and yes indeed the Squishle is as cute and funny in real life as she is online. A hoot in fact :) We had a pizza and boardgame night at Mick and Nums' with IRCaddict and the ever-amused (and amusing) Simone. BiteYrBum arrived later on.

Baulderdash was funny as usual. I was the only person with freckles this time (and I kinda missed the optimum freckle location) but both Nums and Squish ended up with thongs daisies and so on drawn on them. I had a snake on my arm courtesy of the squish, however the thongs were real - Squish gave me some cute thongs from Coff's Harbour :)

Several of us were on a caffein and/or sugar high. The night was rather bouncy to say the least! Jaelyn decided she was going to pat Jon and I every time she toddled past (which was pretty frequently).

The Squishilicious wardrobe department had gone into overdrive for the evening. Squish's top was gorgeous. I can't describe it, so you'll have to wait for pictures. She also had daisy socks on :*) Those of you that know me well will be aware that this is a fast-track to my heart LOL. Course I had to pull 'em off and decorate the squish tootsies... it's pretty much a requirement of law or something.

All too soon it was time for Squish to hop back into the speeding tic-tac and she's now back on her way to Sydney. I hope she had as much fun meeting us as we did meeting her - she's a real sweetie, and don't let her tell you she has horrible feet *grin*. I took quite a lot of pictures using my phone, so once I can transfer them to a PC and view them full size, I'll see if they came out well enough to put up here (I'd best wait for Squish to get home and say it's ok too)

Big update time

Yeah yeah, long time no post. Sorry to anyone who hangs on my every word (you really need to get out more ;) Really!)

So what's been going on to keep me from updating. Heaps, tho not all interesting I'm afraid.

Basically a month or so ago I was given notice that the people I rent this house from wanted to renovate. As such, I had to look for a new place to live, which is harder than it sounds when you've got a rough location in mind, two cats and a penchent for playing guitar at odd times of the day.

Anyway, just over a week ago I made a successful application to rent a place just down the road from where I work. It's also one street away from Mick and Nums, which is great all round - they'd be able to feed the mogs for me if I was away, so I'll be able to go on training interstate again (I've had to turn down some courses due to them being run in Sydney).

I'll be able to drive them to the shops etc, pick 'em up from the station when its pissing down with rain etc etc. I'd also be able to pick up the girls from daycare if Mick and Nums get stuck in the city for some reason (they both work in The Valley, and if Mick gets busted for soliciting on his street corner and nums has to bail him out again etc etc). The silly idjits have bought me an amazing microwave as a housewarming prezzie - it's fantastic... HUGE, and has a built in recipe book. In a tremendous show of restraint, I've left it packed until after I move - and I have NO idea how I've managed to do that (boys and gadgets, you know the score)

Of course, being geeks, we're already planning a wireless internet connection between our houses....

Work on the band's demo is still in progress - Phil's done some wonderful work on Emily, Cult of the One, No More Kings, Chrominence and Before You Fall. He's taking extra time to make sure he gets a 'sound' that suits us.

The band's still amidst auditions for bassists and drummers. Dane, who replaced Dave after the recording sessions vanished after about 4 weeks - we've been unable to contact him, so I hope he just lost his phone rather than something nasty happening. He's a real nice guy.

In the 'downtime' between auditions, we've been working on new songs. These are going tremendously well. So far we've worked on:

* Finding Emo (working title for one of Justin's songs)
* Prizefight (another one of Justin's)
* Outta My Mind (working title for one of Shane's songs)
* Betrayed (One of mine - Shane does a great Cello impression on his guitar)
* Can I Feel Your Heartbeat (Mine. Previously known as 'No Baby')
* Your Stolen Mind (Mine)
* Label Me Blameless (Mine - used to play it in Torn)
* The New Red (Mine. Previously known as Silverscream)
* Little England (Mine)

We've also worked on a cover of Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf, and had a brief look at a couple more of my songs (Starlingfall and My Strange One). Shane and Justing both have other new songs in the works - one of Shanes is this really cool drop-D riff (similar in style to 'D' but somehow darker). I've got rough recordings of most of the new stuff but nothing we'd want to share at the moment (we're still nutting out structure, harmonies and in some cases lyrics)

Work's been pretty busy too - a couple of ago I put a new mail gateway server live, and also doubled the student email mailbox quota. Both were successful, and it ended up taking about 3 hours which isn't bad going. I was also nominated to be my section's person put forward for the AVCC Leadership Programme (AVCC being the Australian Vice Chancellor's Committee). I was very proud! Yesterday I received word that I'd been accepted! The Programme is run at Deakin uni in Victoria, about an hour from Melboune (apparently). Guess who's hoping he can meet up with the Mandi?

A couple of entries ago I think I mentioned that I'd gone for the team leader position in my group. Well I didn't get the job, which went to Mitch, who had recently left the team to work in the research computing dpt. I'm almost glad I didn't get it - Mitch has been a VERY busy man the last few weeks, and he's coping very well!

A few months ago, I did a stint as acting Snr Security Specialist (basically acting Manager of Computer Securiy), which I thouroughly enjoyed and was rather sad to have to hand the reigns back to Eddy when he came back from leave. Eddy has since resigned, and it'll be very sad to see him go - he's had a very positive effect around the place, and we get on well.

The position's been advertised, and I'm going to apply -- I've worked at the Uni since 1998 and never applied for any jobs, then this year I've applied for two (both at the uni, so don't panic Karl!) This is not due to lack of ambition (at least not since I got over San and I's split), but is testament to how much I love my job and enjoy being in the team I'm in.

The two jobs I've gone for have been closely related to my current work and basically 'next rung up the ladder' with (allegedly, Mitch would dispute this!) less hands-on technical work and more management type work. I'm not bored with my current work by any means, but I would like to have a bit more responsibility and impact on processes/policies (though I have to say, my boss is great at hearing our opinions and ideas and enabling his team members to run with their convictions - and unlike many other bosses, he's all for deferring credit to those responsible).

Last night, my boss had a BBQ at his house and I was invited, along with my guitar and PA. My boss got his drumkit out and a couple of other colleagues brought keyboards and guitars. We had a monster (nearly 5 hour) jam session, some good stuff, some bad stuff, but overall: fun. Included in the 'set' were Rainbow Connection, a punked up version of Leavin' on a Jet Plane (!) and, especially for Troy and his wife, the first verse of Black Sabbath's Paranoid. Cristy and Anna, the sisters who work in my group had goes at singing and drumming.. the most notable for me was the version of Alanis Morrissette's "You oughtta Know" - not all lyrics were remembered, but Cristy sang with complete conviction. I got home about 1am and am still rather sore from all the playing and equipment lugging... yet I'm also about to do more packing. Ug.

Oh, breaking news - I'm now addicted to Kitkat Peanut Butter bars. Thanks, Nestle, you'll be hearing from my tailors.

Finally, tonight I finally get to meet Lil Miss Squish, Extreme Ironer, owner of an impressive set of.. er.. thongs and all-round cutie. We're having a games night at Mick and Nums', and we'll be joined by IRCaddict and BiteYrBum. I'm currently looking out my hairties, nail polish, halo and marker pens so Team Freckle can be in full effect! Plan is Pizza and games of Pictionary and Baulderdash

Better go do some packing. The girls know something's happening - Willow's giving me that "Wachootalkinboutwillis?" look and tammy's sitting on the highest point possible (which is currently atop the microwave box)

NO SLEEP 'TILL........... GRAFTON!

It's Monday afternoon. I'm knackered. Well and truely knackered. I'm sat at my PC contemplating a nap for a while, but I keep getting distracted by another song. I haven't had much sleep the last few days and I'm achey and my fingers are rather blistered and my throat rather sore yet I'm the happiest I've been for a fair number of years. Here's the rundown of my weekend.

Friday:
Get up at 5:30 to start work at 7am as there's some stuff to do to a system before people start using it at 8am. This all went fine. Finished work at 3pm, stopped off at the music shop to get some picks and other gubbins. Headed off to bed at 9.30pm because I had an early start the following morning. Despite being physically knackered, my head was overactive, so I watched a couple of episodes of Sherlock Holmes on DVD. Around midnight I tried to get to sleep but the cats were aware something was different and were extra-active.

Saturday:
Got up at 4:30am after about two hours total sleep. Moved all my gear into the hall, showered, then went out to the drive to wait for Shane and Justin. Justin arrives about 5.20am, Shane about 20 mins later. Load all three of us plus 2 amps, 7 guitars, 2 large boxes of effect pedals, cables etc and 3 people's bedding into Shane's car. Hit the road at around 6am.

About 7:30am we're driving past Byron singing "It's the End of the World as we Know It and I feel fine" (REM) at the top of our lungs, followed by "Stand" (REM) and "Lake of Fire" (Meatpuppets). Road Trip is well and truely underway. Sometime around 8am we were in Ballina and needed a pee break. What better place to stop than a Bee Pee servo? This servo had a collection of porno mags that would put Lemming's DVD collection to shame. We were definitely in New South Wales then. Back on the road, we had a small titter at the absurdity of The Big Prawn and cooed at an inquisitive wallaby. Ended up at Taf's in Grafton at around 10am.

11:30am Shane and I had set our amps up in the studio, Justin had befriended Taf's tribe of kitties and I'd discovered the miniDV cam I'd borrowed was complaining it had dirty heads despite cleaning them a couple of times. With a few re-takes, smoke breaks and a REALLY nice cheese and ham roll (thanks Taf!), that afternoon we recorded the main guitar and scratch vocal tracks of 9 songs (Emily, Drugfucked Mona Lisa, Before You Fall, Lights, Relapse, Cult of the One, D, Chrominance and two versions of No More Kings at different speeds). After a well accepted dinner of KFC, Phil and I headed back into the studio to record the basslines. Phil lent me one of his basses for this. It was a wonderful guitar to play, and had a great sound. Basslines took until around midnight. Justin had crashed hours before, whilst Shane had stayed up chatting to Taf and Alex (chookie tiramisu) and talking to Dave.

Dave had realised an hour from Brisbane that he'd left some kit behind and had turned tail to go and get it. Now on his way a second time, the combi of doom had decided it wanted to enjoy a theme park and broken down outside Movie World. Shane was all set to go and get him, when Dave called back to say that Simone, drummer girlfriend extraordinaire was driving him down and we'd see him Sunday morning.

Sunday:
About half midnight I crashed on the floor of Taf's computer room. Justin was snoring away in the living room and Shane was muttering to himself in his sleep in the doorway. I slept suprisingly well, getting up at 5:30 when the birds were fooled by the false dawn. Sat outside on the veranda watching the real dawn for a while, then had a smoke and a coffee with Justin and Shane when they woke up around 6. Went back to sleep until abut 8:30 when we sat out on the veranda with Phil, Taf, Alex and the cats for coffee and optional toast.

Sunday morning Justin did main vocals on the 9 songs we'd put down on Saturday. Dave and Simone arrived just as Justin was finishing off. For someone who'd had such a shitty time the day before, Daveo was doing well. He set up and put down drum tracks on 8 of the previous days songs. We discovered that Emily had a tricky bit where (playing along to a click track) we'd deviated from what we normally played with Dave, and so we had to re-do it, recording drums and guitars simultaneously. So we redid Emily, and while we were all setup, did Tear as well, bringing our song total up to 10. We did Tear differently to normal and it sounded great. Quite EMF really as Shane was wah-wahing away like a man posessed. That done, we loaded Dave and his kit in Simone's car and waved them on their merry way.

With main guitars, vocals and drums down, it was time for me to record my solos and a couple of guitar overdubs. I had suprisingly little trouble with the Lights solo for a change, did the solo for Drugfucked in 2 takes (1st take was ok, but had a couple of slightly late notes). I then did the bass on the new version of Emily and came up with a funkier bassline for Tear that fit its new style. Justin then came in and did vocals on the two new tracks while Shane and I woke up our vocal chords in preparation for doing backing/harmony vocals. I did a couple of tracks then handed the mic to Shane while I got my voice back to do my remaining tracks. Had reheated KFC for lunch. Yum. Made a mess though (cats didn't mind!). Finished off the backing vocals once Shane finished.

It had taken a while longer than we'd planned, but saying that, because Dave hadnt been able to make it on Saturday due to work, we'd recorded more tracks than we'd originally intended. As we loaded Shane's car up for the trip home, Phil recorded a very rough mix of each song onto a tape for us, and burned me CDs of the source material. We're both going to have a go at mixing it and compare notes. The trip home was fairly uneventful save a rousing rendition of Bye Bye Love (Everley Brothers) with 3 part harmony and discovering that Ballina's local radio station had a good mix of songs on at 1 in the morning. Oh, and that ruddy big prawn is illuminated at night, which caused me to choke in Iced Coffee in mirth. The servo at the big prawn is good though and Julie behind the counter's a hoot (she pointed at my "I am God" t-shirt and said "I have a son who tells me the same" before asking what on earth we'd been up to to be so tired and have a car so loaded up)

We got home safe and sound at some time this morning that I didn't really take note of. Despite being well and truely exhausted, I couldn't sleep so I watched an episode of Sherlock Holmes before passing out. Got up today about midday to do my washing, and couldn't resist having a go at mixing a couple of songs. So far I've looked at Before You Fall and Relapse, and it's very easy to get a mix that sounds good, so it shouldn't take too long to get this demo completly mixed and mastered.

Taf took a number of great pics of us over the weekend and sent them to me last night (they got here hours before we'd even started off home!). I'll put a couple of them up on this page soon.

Long weekend...

...yay!

Well sorta. I lose most of today as I have a termite bloke coming this arvo to fix up the termite baits and as I've been so la^H^H busy lately and tired in the evenings, I'm spending the morning cleaning up. About halfway through (I tried to get up early, do it then go have a nap, but there was NO way I was able to get up at 7:30, so I started at 10 instead hehe). Once the Termitinator's left I'm going back to bed until 5, as I have to go in and work at 6 - patching a box and replacing some gig ethernet cards, so nothing too complicated but the patching takes a couple of hours. Luckily during that time I have a couple of mount points to move on the Lotus servers. Oh, and I must start my job application - it closes Tuesday not Thursday as I'd thought (the advertised job is the one I'm currently acting in, and I'd love to get it - it's not a huge raise in pay, but it's another step up the ladder and I really enjoy the work.. Unix system administration with a bit of management on top, right up my street)

Rest of the long weekend will be a mix of sleeping in, mixing the recording of the last practice, working on arrangements of songs for the recording session next weekend (yep, it's booked!! We going to Phil's studio). I'll probably work on a couple of new ideas I have in my head too, including trying to finish off the couple I mentioned earlier in the week. Reminds me, I need to restring the 12 string and Tele in preparation too. Should also run over basslines - I've worked 'em out for most of the songs in the past, but I should work out what I'm going to do for the others.

I'm sure I'll manage to get over to Mick and Naomi's for some Xbox snowboarding.. Nums loves the snowman search and destroy...! Amped 2 is really a great game. Wonder if there'll be an Amped 3... tho at this point in time I guess they'd be looking at Xbox2 :/

Anyway, back to cleaning. Have got Muse's Origin of Symmetry album, REM's Out of Time and Green Day's Dookie in the stereo helping me along.

Cats are funny creatures...

Tammy is currently in an epic struggle against the epitomy of all evil - a plastic bag. Luckily, SuperWillow's lending a paw (much to Tammy's chagrin). Last night the world was threatened by a killer envelope, luckily for humanity Tammysaurus Rex and Willopottomus thwarted its nefarious scheme.

In other news, the band decided unanamously to record with Taf's hubby Phil. I have to get in touch with him and find a mutually agreeable weekend for the session. Unfortunately, we need to do the demo sooner than later, and Shane's availability will be limited in about a month, so I hope Phil's not too busy...!

Monday's practice went well, despite us all being rather knackered. All the songs bar two (Before You Fall and the newie Cult of The One) are giggable, the issue with the former being that it sounds rather muddled at the moment as Dave-o the Combi Bloke hasn't worked out a suitable drunmbeat for all the parts. Cult of the One is very close to being "ready", pretty much all that needs doing is Justin deciding on a melody (he's got a couple of lines he's experimenting with) and the rest of us remembering that the verse has 6 lines rather than 8 or 4 (gets confusing about when we change to the pre-chorus). It's sounding good though.

I've got another couple of new songs in the works. One's sorta John Butleresque and has a working title of "For You To Roam". I have all the parts, and just need to arrange them into a decent structure and write some words. The other's based on a jam from a month or so ago. I'm just calling it "Ballad" at the moment. It's a bit like a Bon Jovi ballad at the moment, but I'm giving it a haircut. Mullets are out these days. I have a structure and a few words, but needs a bridge and some words for the verses. And yeah, this is on top of the 60 or so other songs that I've written since I was 16 or so.

My current period as Acting Team Leader ends this weekend, as I hand over to a colleague for his 3 week stint. I have to get my arse in gear and update my CV - the Team Leader position has been advertised and of course I'm applying (along with another colleague and an ex-colleague who left the team earlier in the year).

Anyways not long home from work, so I'm gonna grab dinner then read for a while and get an early night.

One time, at band camp....

Well the recording yesterday didn't happen - we've still not heard back about the booking... We'll look elsewhere. I spent an hour or so on the phone talking to Taf's hubby Phil about recording with him. It'd be a bit of an experiment but I think we'll get some decent results. We'll be talking that through tonight at rehersal.

We didn't make the last rehersal due to Shane having an exam the following day. Sadly due to a family bereavement he didn't make the exam. He really wants to let it all out tonight.

Just chatting to the gorgeous Mandi before packing up the car and heading out. I fixed my multieffects unit finally today, and restrung the Jag. I'm going all-out tonight too. Spent a while creating new patches on the effects box as the old ones
were OK but not banked particularly well. My new way of doing it means that some patches are identical but they're groups so that I just have to hit one button within a song to go between the rhythm and lead guitar patches.

Anyway, gotta start loading the car up and stuff. Laters.

Studio time?

Well, all going well we'll be in the studio this time next week recording the demo to send off to Canada. The studio booking's not been confirmed yet though.

We've written a song as a band during rehersals - Dave was playing a beat.. Shane put some chords to it, I came up with a chorus, Justin came up with a melody.. a couple of days later I came up with lyrics whilst driving to work (ended up having to pull over and write them out on my leg due to lack of paper...) Song's called Drug-Fucked Mona Lisa.

Songs we're definitely recording: Lights, Emily, D, Drug-Fucked Mona Lisa, Relapse, No More
If we have time: Tear, No More Kings, Before You Fall, Chrominance

We have to try and do live recordings of all instruments, then go back and do vocals and bass and then mix it... In 8 hours....

We can probably get the instrument tracks down within 3 or 4 hours (basically like we do in rehersal, repeating anything that screws up too badly).. Justin's pretty good on the vocals, so should only need a couple of takes on most songs.

Last couple of practices we've been working on getting DFML's structure sorted.. Didn't take long :) We're also working on one of Justin's songs, Cult of The One, which I really like. I came up with a funky verse and prechorus with a pretty driving chorus... Sorta Chili Peppers meets REM.. Sorta... DFML's a pretty straight, loud Nirvana/Buzzcocks meld, with shades of early Beastie Boys. It's the first song we've truely written as a group, and I love it to bits. Cult of The One is shaping up really nicely too.. think it'll be a definite for the album. (even if the dude in Canada says No, I'm planning on getting enough tracks professionally recorded to be able to create an album anyway)

In other news, Last Sunday Piper decided that codein and paracetamol tablets were lollies :/ As she'd not taken TOO many (according to *someone*), it was quicker for me to drive Nums and Pipsqueek to the hospital than to wait for the ambulance. So we had a fun Sunday evening and early Monday morning sitting in hospital waiting rooms. Thankfully, Piper was OK though she was kept in overnight (after being transferred to Mater Children's). Also I'm currently Acting Team Leader at work again... was a pretty busy week! I'm really enjoying my weekend, I can tell you. I'm currently considering playing Snowboarding on the xbox for a while.

I'm an Uncle again!

It's been an age since my last update - not that there's been nothing happening, more just a case of not getting round to it. So this could well be a bumper entry.

So what's been happening in Jeffskiland? Well the most important news is that my sister has had bub number three! Little Harry was born last Wednesday. He had some breathing problems at first, but both Deb and Harry are going good now. Congratulations to Deb and Tom (and Daisy and Joe!)

Recently I was acting Team Leader at work for 3 weeks - first time I've done it for longer than a few days, and first time I've had the higher rate of pay. It was fun, if a little challenging at times. Good experience and I enjoyed doing the manager-y type stuff.

Band is going well - despite several setbacks we're fighting on. Amanda the bassist left a couple of weeks ago, so we started looking for a replacement bassist and a vocalist as Shane and I weren't stong enough in the voice department. We've now got a new vocalist named Justin who's doing very well, but no bassist (well, we had one for about 24 hours but he inexplicably cancelled, citing nothing but bull as a reason). Another answer to the ads that we received was from a chap representing a new recording studio on the Gold Coast. He's coming out to hear us do some originals in a week or so's time - so we're feaverishly working on some of my songs (Lights, Emily, Relapse, No More and Tear). It's all going very well and whilst I'm trying not to get too excited about the idea of some kind of recording contract, I'm starting to feel a little trembly about the whole thing - but we're going good, and the material is good (even if I do say so myself) so wish us luck.

Keeping on the music track, you may remember that I got an award from work last year, part of which was some money which I used to order a Squire Telecaster Custom guitar. Well, that was a few month ago and the guitar hadn't shown. I went in last week to grab some strings I needed in a hurry so I could actually play a guitar with 6 whole strings on it at practic, and asked about progress with the guitar only to be told that unfortunately Fender were out of stock on the item and wouldn't be making any more as it was a limited range. So instead I tried out a couple of other guitars they had there that were within my price range, and was happily suprised by the quality and sound of a cherry red sunburst Magnum Les Paul copy. So I got that instead. It's really nice - as nice, I think, as the Squire Tele. It's got a great action and a lovely sounding neck pickup. The bridge pickup is a bit thin for a humbucker, so I'll probably change that for a Seymore Duncun that I have spare :) I'll have to see if I can get Nums to take some pics of some of my guitars with her new digital camera so I can put them up here. Thinking about it, Jill has a digital camera too - I've got a couple of pics of my Fender Jag and the band that she took that I'll put up soon.

Some of my absence from blogging recently can be explained by my aquisition of Half Life 2 for Christmas. Not that I've been playing HL2 too much of late, but I've gotten addicted to playing Counterstrike Source online with Mick, Naomi, InterNat and Mick's brother. I'm getting better at it (I was shocking at first), I'm still not great, but watch out if you see me with an AK, Desert Eagle or Grenade...

I'm currently off work with a dental abcess - it might not sound much, but it made my face swell right up so I looked like The Elephant Man or something and has been very painful. The doctor yesterday was wincing and very sympathetic. I'm on strong antibiotics which are messing my gut around, and I keep getting the shakes (though whether thats from the antibiotics, painkillers or the abcess I don't know). The doc wanted to sign me off work for 2 weeks, but of course I don't have that kind of sick leave available. I'll probably be off until next week though - I'll arrange to use rec leave to make up any days the sick leave doesn't cover if I can. Sounds daft, but I can't wait until I'm feeling well enough to go back to work. There's no easy way to explain how uncomfortable my face is at the moment - luckily it's rarely painful (but when it IS, watch out)

It's coming up to my 32nd birthday, so of course I'll be trying to arrange a meet up at Elios. 32. I can hardly believe it. I really thought that at 32 I'd have a couple of kiddies, a mortgage etc. Still I can't complain - I've got 2 kitties, and I was lucky enough to spend time happily married in the past. Sure it didn't end up so well, but a lot of positive things happened in the time we were together, and I have a lot of happy memories to look back on. The breakup and things that have happened since that I had to deal with alone have made me a better and stronger person.

What an odd note to end on. But that is indeed where I end this post cos I can't think of anything else to put for now!

Not the best day I've had

Well yeah. I get up this morning to find the kitchen was rather moist. Willow was looking at me pleadingly from a tiny island of dryness in the corner of the kitchen, surrounded by a sea of cold water. Seems that my dear freezer had died sometime in the previous 12 hours and not had the decency to tell me.

There was water everywhere. Even a small pool in the living room - with my xbox sat in the middle of it. Great stuff. Had to call my boss and take an emergency day off to clean up and deal with the melting icebergs.. See, the freezer had been icing up pretty bad and I'd been planing a defrost - but having had a bad back I'd not been able to move it somewhere more conducive to spewing a ton of water from its bowels. So there was LOTS of ice remaining unmelted. Shame most of my food had already thawed. Anything in cardboard was cactus, as was any bread which was in the special 'breathing' bags. All got thrown out. As did all the chicken and fish as I didn't trust it. Chipped as much ice off as I could to reduce the potential future floods.

Next I discovered that the boxes of catfood I'd stocked up on when it was on sale were all waterlogged - all
save one which was half empty anyway. That had to be thrown out, and besides, the bottoms of the boxes kept
giving way, spilling moistened, fizzing (don't ask) catfood amongst the puddles.

As I was clearing the contents of the freezer out, I discovered the probable reason for all the icing up (and the large electricity bills I hope), and probably the reason for premature freezer death. The door fell off. This is a 5' upright freezer, so it was a bit of a suprise. Nearly got my foot. Looking at the hinge, I saw it had broken with no hope of re-attachment. Fun.

Anyways, to dry the place out as quick as possible, I used the pools of water to mop the rest of the house - thinking logically that a less condenced body of water with a larger surface area would evaporate quicker. This was aided by turning the ceiling fans on full and opening all available windows (sadly, no direct sunlight)
Result - it dried nice and fast, with a sorta aircon effect. Hurrah. Unfortunately, tehre was a LOT more ice in the freezer than I thought, and lots was detirmined to stay attached to the freezer... This of course meant frequent moppings of the floor (11 so far, and probably 1 more to go before I go to bed).

Throughout the day I'd here a loud THUD as a large lump of ice detached finally from freezer bits. These got chucked in the sink rather than left to melt and spill on the floor of course. There's no more ice to go clunk, so I think I'm over the worst of it now.

That's not all though. My keyboard. My beloved opaque fluro lime-green keyboard died this evening, so if you spot any typos forgive me - I've not used this keyboard before. But wait, there's more.

I took my 4 track recorder to practice this evening, so we could listen back to ourselves, see where we made mistakes and improve our performance. All sounded great through headphones as I set levels. When I played back.. .nothing on the tape. My 4 track has stopped working properly - some 9 months after the split-icebreak-bottle incident . I also managed to break 2 strings. One on the 12 string which was old and going to be replaced in the next week ready for the gig anyway, the other on the 6 string which was BRAND NEW. Not happy Jan.

Oh, and I got notice of my next house inspection today. Two days after the gig. As work has a major outage window on the day in between, I'm going to be well knackered by Tuesday.

Still, the practice went pretty well - we do a pretty good "Brown Eyed Girl" considering how little we've pacticed it yet, Sweet Home Alabama always goes well, and Bad Moon was great. I think we might just pull it off. I love our version of Mrs Robinson - I do harmony vocals in the style of Mr Art Garfunkel of course, but we also do it a bit more upbeat like the Lemonheads version.

It's a real shame that Darbopallooza (Pete's birthday) is the same day as our gig - they wanted me or the band to play a few things. Woulda been great fun. Worse than that -- it's Pete' Birthday and I'm gonna miss it. Grr.

In the chilly hours and minutes of uncertainty
I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind
To feel you all around me
And to take your hand along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky
I wanna hide a while behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look your eyes I'd find
For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing
'twould make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind
For standin' in your heart Is where I want to be
and I long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

(Catch The Wind, Donovan Leitch)

Odd dream...

Ok, picture this:

The location: A rank of post-WW2 British houses (think Coronation Street), populated by a group of Asian people who sound like they should be in East Enders.. in the middle of Viet Nam. I assume Sandra lived in that street too or was visiting, because Angren was tied up to a telegraph pole outside one of the houses. I lived there somewhere as well because Willow was sleeping in a windowbox.

Anyway.. that's the location. Started off up the road from there though. I'm a member of the
Special Victims Unit (traffic division, I assume)... My partner, is Munch. Stapler and Benson ask us to stop some guy speeding in a red ford Escort XR3i along aforementioned street of houses. We hop into our unmarked car - a burgendy Ford Sierra (like my mum's old one) and head off. We catch up with the guy who's swerving all over the place, pull along side, and I yell out of the window for him to pull over and stop. He speeds up. I look ahead and Munch is avoiding an oncoming truck (Ingham's chicken truck). Then we run over some guy on a moped. It's then I'm running along that street behind Munch, Stabler and Benson, stopping to pet Willow and later Angren. I'm apparently the rookie on the team, and I can hear Stabler telling Munch to let me make the arrest... I'm yelling we should find the guy we ran over, and am looking in the road under parked cars but to no avail. I'm then run over by an icecream van driven by Mr T, to the accompanyment of Jefferson Starship's White Rabbit being sung by Munch, Stabler and Benson who are hopping round like umpa lumpas.

Next thing, I'm in a hospital bed with Sandra sat in a chair next to me dressed like an extra from Sense and Sensibility but wearing a Bob Dylan hat rather than a bonnet. She's holding my hand against her cheek. A doctor comes in and informs us that visiting time is over. I leave, realising Sandra's petrified in that position and I was holding HER hand. As I exit the hospital into the carpark, a nurse runs up and gives me a book and tells me "dont forget". I look at the book - it's a blank 1998 diary.



Don't ask me, I have no idea. Though I should possibly cut down on how much Law and Order I watch, and I'm definitely on the look out for Pity The Foo Ice Cream Company. I can't even blame the pain tablets as I've not taken any today. I think I'll steer clear of afternoon naps for a while too.

Ouch.

Got to work yesterday and my back was a bit sore getting out of the car. This was around 8:15am... Went in, did a few things in the machine room, then headed back to my desk. At 10 I got up to go for morning coffee and *OUCH*. Couldn't walk halfway across the room let alone anything else. In the end my wonderful colleagues wheeled me on a wheelie chair to the loading bay. Another colleague drove me to my car and
helped me get in (I was ok sat, and had use of my legs, I just couldn't really walk). And give my colleagues full credit - not one of them laughed at the absurd sight of me being wheeled around on an office chair (and if they laughed when I was out of the room, I don't blame them)

Drove just down the hill to Mick and Naomi's where Naomi made me a coffee, warmed up a heatpack, got me some painkillers and provided a TV showing Law and Order. I could then just about walk back out to the car and into the various doctor's waiting rooms as I tried to find one that wasn't booked solid. Eventually saw a doctor at 4:30 just up the road from home.

Apparently it's not a slipped disk (hurrah) - it's a pulled muscle. I've got strong painkillers and have to rest up until it's better. Currently I'm fine as long as I'm laid down or sat, but walking from the PC or bed to the loo gets painful. Doc told me I had really strong leg muscles (shame about the rest of me, huh) Anyway, I'm on the mend now it seems (I can at least walk short distances without much pain). I'm signed off work until Thursday. Looks like I might have to use the full time too :( Yes, that IS an unhappy smiley. I enjoy my work, is that a crime?!

Whilst at Mick and Naomi's yesterday, enjoying the wonders of relief a heatpack gives to a bad back, the bushland behind the kiddy park opposite caught fire - we weren't sure if it was backburning or what - certainly the flames were high and there was a shitload of smoke and embers heading for neighbouring houses (if it was a planned burn, the planners should be shot). Now I always found fire fascinating - as a child I'd stare into the flames of my nan's open fire in winter, mesmirised by the patterns I saw there, making faces from the colours much like you do with clouds. This though was something different. Not a controlled fire like the bonfires on November 5th, or the woodfires in my nan's grate on christmas day. This was somthing alive and terrible but fascinating and hypnotic at the same time. I wasn't the only one gazing into the demon's eyes either - people were pulling up in cars and vans and running to the park. I never used to understand the psyche of those people who chased firetrucks or committed arson. Yesterday I got an insight.

Huey down, repeat we have a Huey down!

...well in Battlefield Vietnam anyway.. I've been net-gaming it with Mick and Naomi, and I must say it's great fun. I'm getting better at flying the 'copters, but landing's still a bit of an issue.. I can usually do it, but land
a bit heavily.. If I've already been shot, then boom.

Had a photoshoot this arvo. Well, sort of. The photos taken at the awards ceremony didn't come out too well, so we re-did them today. Told a couple of people it was happening and got some funny looks, and Mick reminding me to make sure I didn't step on my skirt like Miss Universe...

With Elleboo and Mandles in Melbourne, I'm starting to wonder if I should visit :D Wonder if they're into threesomes? (only joking ladies) Really though, with the warmer weather I think we should convice the gals to come visit Queensland. Don't forget to pack your bikinis and flipflops... Oh, pigtails are mandatory in Queensland too, in case you didn't know...!

With my award, I was given a nice certificate. I was also given a voucher to be redeemed at a nominated store. It should come as little suprise to you lot that I nominated Music Express... Could do with a decent hard case for my guitar (and no, I don't mean a bald bloke from Newcastle with a broken bottle).. new cables.. new strings...

Just noticed Target are finally selling 3/4 jeans for guys. FINALLY. I spent most of last summer looking for a pair, and could I find them? Closest I could get were cargos that unzipped around the knee.

Anyways.. I think that's about it for now. I know the updates aren't as regular at the moment, but really - would you WANT to see daily entries that said "Worked on spam filters, Played Diablo II, read more of Tommyknockers" over and over? No, thought not!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Fx5900xtv whizzy graphicy goodness

(..well after an hour or so of reinstalling drivers, installing DirectX 9c and patching Far Cry)



Call of Duty doesn't look much different to how it did on the ti4200, but Far Cry, X2 and Doom 3 all look
amazing. All of course play with increased smoothness - it's more pronounced in X2 than the others, that
game seems to have some iffy coding and then some - should look for patches)

Was woken this morning by Willow licking my nose. My first reaction was EWWW, but then I realised she
was only saying Happy Fathers Day - now go play Far Cry, which was really rather sweet don't ya think?